


Wheel Bake-Off: The Night After

by Taupefox59



Series: Wheel Bake-Off [2]
Category: Poldark (TV 2015), Return to Treasure Island (TV 1996)
Genre: After the bake-off, Exhaustion, Fluff, M/M, Relationship Discussions, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, general cuteness, mentioned past relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-07-14 13:38:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7174013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taupefox59/pseuds/Taupefox59
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The show has ended, Demelza and Ross have won, but now they're stranded in London with nowhere to go and no energy to get there.</p><p>The only kind thing for Jim and Coral to do is to rescue them from their plight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Night After

**Author's Note:**

> Un-beta'd so if you catch anything, please let me know! Constructive criticism always welcome!

Everything was still getting cleaned up when Jim and Coral found Ross and Demelza, standing wearily in one place, staring at the wall across the hallway looking more like zombies than actual people.

Ross frowned, a look on his face rather like he was trying to calculate the square root of seven. “Uhm.” He said, blinked once, then again. “Uhm, we should. Uh. fuck. Uh. Can’t leave the van in the parking lot. Or we could sleep there.”

Demelza listed over and leaned against his shoulder, "’M useless. Can’t help. Too tired. You plan."

Ross looked like he’d just been betrayed by the deepest parts of his soul

Coral elbowed Jim and nodded at them "Are we telling them that the show booked them a hotel?"

"What?"

Coral looked at Jim like he was being particularly slow, but in his defence, it had been a very long day for everyone.

“Are we telling them they have a hotel for the night,” Coral said slowly, "Or are we just going to take them home."

Jim’s eyes widened as Coral spelled it out. “I would never take advantage-”

“Of course not!” Coral said, anger shooting through her words that she would even imply such a thing. "As if any of us want to do anything other than just sleep at this point!"

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Good. You should be.”

Jim just nodded and took it. She was right, after all.

“However, if they go to that hotel room…”

“We’ll probably never see them again.”

“They are planning to open a bakery.” Coral said, but they both knew that it could be something that never happened, especially with Jinny having given birth to a child literally only hours before. Demelza at least, they would be able to track down, most likely, after all the paperwork she’d submitted. Ross, on the other hand, had shown up as close to anonymously  as it was possible to be on television. They both knew that if this moment slipped away, Ross would be nearly impossible for Jim to find again. Coral looked at him. “So what do you think.”

Jim took a long moment to think about it, but his mind kept skipping back to all the facets of Ross he’d seen over the course of the show. The confidence of his flirtations and his hesitance in the closet. The rough feel of his calloused fingertips, but the agility and skill of his hands. Jim watched as Ross’s eyes flickered closed and he somehow dragged them open again. Demelza might have actually been asleep against him. “I think it would be a terrible mistake to leave them alone to find somewhere to stay tonight.” Jim said, “After all, they’re clearly in no state to drive anywhere.”

Coral grinned. “Good boy.”

Jim scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever.”

She laughed loud enough it echoed through the hallway.

Ross startled so badly that Demelza was knocked off his shoulder and nearly fell over. The two of them getting themselves back to steady on their feet was both a hilarious and sad production, and Jim decided right there that he wouldn’t be leaving them until he had personally escorted them to soft, horizontal surfaces for the night.

Coral laughed again.

“You’re mean.” Jim reminded her, with a grin.

“Uh-huh!” she said with a nod of agreement.

“I’ve only got the one guest bed, and it _is_ a couch.” Jim said, making sure that they were on the same page with their plan.

“As if I’d let you take Demelza home. She deserves a proper bed to sleep in. Not your bloody pull-out.”

Jim grinned and nodded, before walking over to Ross and Demelza who had finally managed to right themselves. “Please tell me you’re not planning to drive home tonight.” He said, droll enough that he clearly believed that they in no way were actually planning to drive back that night.

“Mm, M’ van can’t stay here the night.” Ross said, his eyes glassy as he slurred his words through his exhaustion.

Jim just shook his head. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Ross nodded. “I can’t- I…” He trailed off at a loss. He knew he was in no state to drive, but he had to move his van, and he couldn’t leave it, and he couldn’t take it somewhere else, and it was for work, he needed it, he couldn’t not have it, and maybe if he slept in it…but then Demelza...

A hand came to rest on his shoulder, and Ross realized he might have been thinking out loud.

“It’ll be fine. I’ve got a pass, we’ll put it in your van and you won’t have to worry about it, alright?”

“It’s for _work_.” Ross emphasized, flinching to the point of nearly falling over when Coral came over and put her hand on his other shoulder. “How about you let Jim take care of your van, and you let me take care of Demelza?”

Ross turned to look at Demelza who was back in her half-sleep state, leaned against his side. “Ehm…”

“You’ll get her back tomorrow.” Coral said with a smile.

“But, we, uh. She…” He trailed off then shook Demelza as awake as she was getting. “Coral says…” Then he turned to Coral, not exactly sure what Coral _was_ in fact saying.

“We’re taking you home!” Coral declared. “Fear not, for all shall be well!”

Demelza glared blearily. “Does it mean I’m gettin’ a bed anytime soon?”

“An entire guest room, all to yourself.” Coral said with a nod. “It’s even got an ensuite.”

Demelza gave a little moan at the thought of it. “Done, yes. Please.” She said, then held her arms out, so Coral could move forward and take her weight from Ross.

“Uhm…” Ross said, staring after Demelza, who seemed to be very happy curled into Coral’s side and going wherever it was she was being taken. Jim, however, was pushing him in a different direction. “Demelza…”

“Is going home with Coral, because we both only have one guest room.”

Ross blinked up at him, barely comprehending. “Oh.”

Jim just laughed. “Come on now, let’s get you into a bed.”

Ross sagged at the mention of a bed in his future. He felt like he could sleep for a week, oh but! “M’van!”

Jim laughed and pulled Ross closer to more effectively herd the half-asleep man out of the studio. “Yes. We’re going to put my parking pass in your van, it’ll be fine.”

“ ‘Cause I-”

“You need it for work. I promise, I remember.” Jim said fondly.

“Mmkay.” Ross said, then let his head flop down to Jim’s shoulder, apparently finally satisfied that his van would be properly taken care of. Jim was overwhelmed with affection, and pecked a kiss to Ross’s cheek as they walked down to the lift down to the car park.

Worry replaced the affection when Ross started to shuffle and lean more of his weight on Jim, and Ross really was a very _solid_ man, and Jim wasn’t entirely sure he could support them both. “Ross, Ross, c’mon buddy, you got to stay with me for a little bit longer, okay?”

“Mmm?”

Jim shook him by the shoulder. “You’ve got to at least get to my car.”

Ross grinned up at him, loose and glassy eyed with weariness. “We gonna snog s’more in your car?”

Jim laughed. “If you’re still awake then, sure we will.”

Ross shook himself and blinked hard. “Better stay awake then.”

Jim laughed more and shoved him out of the lift when the doors opened.

It took no more than a few moments for Jim to get the parking pass situation sorted, but he left Ross in the car, and by the time he got back, Ross was thoroughly asleep, leaning against the window, breath leaving a light fog on the glass.

Jim just shook his head again, and got in, figuring that he’d just let Ross sleep through the drive to the flat.

 

Ross woke up easy enough once they reached Jim’s flat, and seemed much better for even the forty minutes of sleep the drive afforded him. They got in, and Jim gave Ross the tour.

It wasn't actually a big place, and actually only had a single bedroom, but the living room was huge, and despite what Coral said, Jim knew that his pull-out couch was actually _very_ comfortable to sleep on, thank you very much.

“Er,” Jim said, finishing his tour. He was feeling about like he was going to fall asleep standing up himself and could only imagine how Ross was feeling, but he still needed to make the pull-out bed up into an actual thing to be slept on, with blankets and pillows. “Do you need something to sleep in? I’ve probably got something that would fit you?”

Ross stared, “That would be amazing." He paused, "Could I actually use your shower? I’ve got,” he made some kind of all-encompassing gesture, “sawdust and sugar. Y’know?”

Jim didn’t know, but he could guess. “Yeah, of course! Let me grab you a towel, and by the time you get out, your bed will be all made."

“The couch really is fine as it is.”

“Then it isn’t for you.” Jim said firmly “It’s for me, so that when Coral asks tomorrow, we can truthfully tell her you slept in a _bed_.”

Ross laughed, and Jim had to remind himself not to drool.

“Right.” Jim said, “So, clothes and towel for you, then I’ll make up your bed.”

“Hey.” Ross said, then put a hand out to catch Jim’s shoulder. “Can I kiss you again?”

Jim grinned, “Yeah.”

Ross leaned down, and it was soft and sweet, just a lingering press of lips. “Thank you so much for this. It’s so much more than you needed to.”

Jim frowned a bit. “You don’t owe me anything. You know that right?”

Ross tilted his head. “I like you.”

Jim grinned. “Okay then.” Then he leaned up and kissed Ross back, before turning to go back down the hallway to his room, He grabbed a pair of over-sized sleep pants and a too-big t-shirt. He handed them to Ross and told him that there were clean towels to be found in the cupboard across from the shower.

“Thank fuck. I think I smell like chocolate, wood, and curry and no one needs that on their sheets.” Ross said, with a tired smile.

Jim had to take a moment to come to terms with the fact that maybe he really wouldn’t mind the scent of' chocolate, wood, and curry' to be all over his sheets, before reminding himself he still had a bed to make. He heard the shower turn on and went to the closet for sheets.

Jim had just finished making the bed when Ross walked out of the bathroom, dressed in Jim’s clothes, with his hair in dripping wet ringlets.

Jim’s mouth went dry. Then he saw how Ross was wavering on his feet and he stepped back to gesture towards the bed.

“Coral sent me a text that we’re meeting up for lunch around two, so sleep as late as you want to.”

Ross let out a deep sigh of relief. “You two might just be the most wonderful people in the entirety of existence.”

Jim laughed “I highly doubt that, but I can let you sleep.” He turned to walk back down the hall to his room, but Ross caught him again.

“Goodnight kiss?”

Jim brought a hand up to rest on the warm, damp skin of Ross’s neck and kissed him thoroughly, moving his mouth soft and firm, letting his tongue catch on Ross’s lips. He could feel the exhaustion from both of them though. Neither of them were up for more than a few short kisses before retiring to bed.

“I like your goodnight kisses.” Ross said, not quite pulling away.

“I think you might like my good-morning kisses too, then.” Jim said softly.

Ross smiled briefly, but then stepped back to scrub at his eyes with the back of his hand. “Fuck, but I’m tired.”

Jim laughed “Is that supposed to be news?”

Ross glared, but then turned a longing glance to the bed.

“Are you waiting for me? No! Fuck, go to sleep Ross!”

Ross huffed a laugh then walked over to the couch, curling up in the sheets. “Thanks again.”

“No more thank you’s until tomorrow, I swear.” Jim grumbled with a smile.

“Okay, well. Goodnight then.” Ross said, sinking lower into the bed, his voice already slowing now that he was horizontal.

“Goodnight.” Jim returned softly, before making his way to his own bedroom. He was exhausted as well, but he had a smile on his face. Jim went to sleep with his lips tingling and a beautiful man asleep in his other room, and more hope for a relationship than he’d had in years.


	2. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta'd, so if you catch anything please let me know! Constructive criticism always welcome!

 

The next morning Ross woke up to the scream of a kettle whistling and Jim swearing profusely. He was out of bed and moving towards the sound before his brain had even processed what had happened. Jim’s head popped out of the kitchen, and his face fell when he saw Ross standing there.

“Fuck. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Ross frowned, his brain still playing catch-up. Right. He was with Jim, had spent the night on Jim’s guest bed. “Time izzit?”

“Nearly one.” Jim said, 

Ross groaned and scrubbed at his face, still feeling fuzzy and tired. Jim was futzing with some kind of fancy coffee maker - or so he assumed, Ross wasn’t sure. He decided against mentioning that he himself usually either had a machine-made coffee from a petrol station or the instant shit they kept at the construction sites.  Instead he shook his head.  “D’you mind if I use your shower again?” Ross asked around a yawn.

“Of course!”  Jim said, not even turning around, “I’ve made coffee though, how do you take it?”

Ross laughed, “However it’s made, mate.” he said, wandering out of the kitchen. He grabbed his dirty clothes from the day before. They were stiff with sweat and sugar, but it he had hardly thought he was going to need to pack extra clothes. He was about to head for the shower when Jim arrived with coffee.

“Oh, hey, you’re not going to put those back on are you?” Jim asked, honestly a bit aghast at the thought of it.

“I’ve not got anything else.” Ross reminded him, raising an eyebrow.

“Shit, I should have offered to wash those last night, uh, I think I’ve got something that’ll fit? We could still run it through -” He checked his watch, “No. Damn, we’d be late to meet the girls.” Jim looked up. “Look, just, give me a minute to see if I can find something that will fit you.”

“No, honestly, it’s fine, it’s not as if-”

“I don’t know if I will, but it’s got to be better-”

“I’ve worn so much worse-”

“Just let me check?” Jim sounded so plaintive, his blue eyes so wide and earnest that Ross didn’t have the heart to tell him  no.

“Fine. But if you can’t find anything, it really is okay.”

 

Jim found things that he thought would fit, and sent Ross of to take a proper shower instead of an ‘I can’t sleep like this I’m so covered in stuff’ shower.  Only, by “things he thought would fit”, he meant a faded old band t-shirt that Ross just  _ barely _ fit into, and some jeans that barely reached Ross’s ankles but did  _ sinful _ things for his arse, clinging to his thighs like second skin. Ross came out of the shower in Jim’s clothes once again, with a towel slung around his neck to sop up the water from his still-dripping hair. It took all of Jim’s well honed television skill to not look like he was looking. He was, however, absolutely looking.

Ross didn’t seem to notice. He ran a hadn through his hair, apparently forgetting it was still wet as he frowned at his wet hand and tried to shake the water off of it. He turned to Jim then and gave him an intense look. “So, d’you want this to be a thing?”

Jim blinked, not quite with the conversation. “What?”

“Just. I don’t...fling, really, and my last girlfriend…” he trailed off and winced.

“That bad, huh?”

“No. She was wonderful. We broke it off when I left for an internship in the States though, and when I got back, she’d gotten engaged to my cousin.”

Jim’s jaw dropped a bit. “That sounds...complicated?”

“It’s not the best.” Ross agreed. “We’re still sort of working it out.”

Jim paused and then looked at Ross with a frown. “Look, it’s not that I don’t-” and he cut himself off when Ross straighten and his face shutter. “No, not like that!” but he could tell this time he really had put his foot in it, more than a bit. Jim sighed. “Can we sit and drink coffee, and I’ll explain?”

Ross looked wary, but sat down at the table by a cup of coffee. It was the one Jim had made for himself, but he decided not to comment, instead sitting down across from Ross and slowly sipping the only moderately warm coffee and trying not to grimace at it.

Ross didn’t seem to notice and drank his down in gulps.

“What I mean to say,” Jim said slowly, “It’s not like I’m some A-list or something, but I do run this show. I’m on a couple of others. I go on the weekly talk circuits sometimes, do you understand?”

“I’m not a child.” Ross snapped.

“It’s just that I know people-”

“I’m not after your fucking  _ fame _ Jim!”

Jim frowned. “That’s what I thought about my last boyfriend, too.”

Ross snarled. “Well you can keep thinking about your last boyfriend, because you certainly don’t seem to want a new one.”

Jim swallowed. It was so  hard to talk about, and made even more difficult in the face of Ross’s clear anger. “Ross, please.” His voice was quiet, and he couldn’t meet the fire that he knew would be in Ross’s dark eyes.

Ross did pause though, and sat back a little bit in his chair. He still looked at Jim with anger and mistrust, but at least he seemed willing enough to let Jim talk for a little while.

“The last guy I dated - fucking, his name was John. He actually called himself Long John Silver, you know? Like he was a fucking pirate or something.” Jim laughed in a way that clearly wasn’t funny. “He, uh.” Jim swallowed hard. “He really fucked me up.” He chanced a glance up at Ross to see if any of the ice had melted. It looked like a touch of it had, but he hadn’t won back the easy kisses from the day before.

“He was with me for three fucking years before he left, and the whole time - it just. It really wasn’t good, y’know?” Jim looked at Ross, desperately willing for understanding to happen, because he wasn’t sure he would be able to explain it in words; how he had been used, how the slow deterioration of his life had gone un-noticed for too long until he was barely able to put himself back together again. How it had never been his choice to come out of the closet, but John had decided and then it hadn’t mattered anymore.

Ross put his coffee mug down and reached for Jim’s hand.

Jim took it and let his eyes close as he took a deep breath.

“Jim, if you want anything, the first thing you have to do is let go of him. I can’t live in the shadow of something I won’t do.”

Jim opened his eyes.

“I can’t have a relationship with you if you’re just waiting for me to fuck you over. I’m not - I can’t do that.”

“You won’t have to.” Jim said seriously.

Ross raised an eyebrow. “It doesn’t sound that way.”

Jim shook his head and squeezed Ross’s hand. “You won’t. It’s just been a while since I’ve done the serious thing. That’s what you want, you want serious?”

Ross swallowed. “I’m not very good at...not getting attached.”

Jim quirked a half-smile. “Any chance you’re already a little attached?”

Ross glared and Jim grinned, but let it dim fast when he remembered the cause of their conversation. “It’s just - It’s been a while since I’ve had a boyfriend, and now I’m out. I’m a public face for this, Ross. I don’t know - I need you to know what you’re getting into.”

Ross paused and bit his lip, considering Jim’s words honestly, but then he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter to me.”

“What?”

“If you - If you date  _ me _ , and not - not the shadow of...fucking John or whatever. You date me, I date you. We figure it out. I have a life too though. I can’t just pack up to London. I live in Cornwall, Jim. I’ve a company there, and I’ve worked hard to build it. I won’t just give up my life.”

Jim cocked his head. “Maybe that’s perfect.”

“What?”

“If - if we want to start slow, maybe? You live in Cornwall, and I’m here, and we’ll just. Get to know each other a bit better first, before it gets official or something.”

Ross shook his head. “I can’t do that Jim. In or out. I can’t do halfway. If you want to be friends, we can do that. If you want more, you have to tell me. I can’t do halfway. I did halfway last time.” Ross blinked and looked away. “I won’t do that again.”

Ross’s eyes were shimmering in the noon light that filtered into Jim’s kitchen, and Jim knew. “I’m in, Ross.” 

Ross looked up, eyes wide.

“If you’ll have me, I’m in.” Jim said,  “All the way.”

Ross smiled, and it changed the entire atmosphere of the room, taking Jim’s breath with it. Ross stood and crossed to the other side of the table, where he once again took Jim’s hand.

“Can I have another kiss then?”

Jim grinned and pulled him down. Ross grinned and straddled him easily, sealing their mouths together. They both tasted like coffee and cream as they pressed together. They stayed there, exploring lips and teeth and tongue, letting the world fall away. Only when Jim’s legs started to go numb did they pause long enough to remember that they did actually have somewhere to be.

“Do we have any chance at all to get there on time?” Ross asked, running the back of his hand over his red-bitten, kiss-swollen lips.

Jim stared.

“Jim! The girls. When are we meeting them?”

Jim shook himself out of his stupor and checked his watch. “Twenty minutes.”

“Can we get there in time?”

Jim stared at him. “Even if we get there on time, do you think there’s any way they won’t know what we’ve been up to? I don’t know Demelza that well, but if she’s anything like Coral…”

Ross winced and brought a hand to the bridge of his nose.

“Not to mention, you  _ are _ wearing my clothes.”

“We’re never going to hear the end of it.”

“Well, not at lunch by any rate.” Jim agreed.

Ross laughed. “How late are we going to be.”

Jim checked his watch again. “If we leave now, and traffic is good, then only about ten minutes.”

Ross laughed helplessly and nodded, “Let’s be off then.”

 

Traffic was good enough that they, with Jim’s adept knowledge of London streets, they weren’t even the estimated ten minutes late. Coral and Demelza were waiting for them, taking advantage of the sun by taking a table on the outside veranda. They started laughing when they saw Ross’s clothes, and, as predicted, didn’t stop for the entire meal.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come say hi (or leave a prompt!) (OR TALK ABOUT FOOD! ;P)[ on tumbr](http://taupefox59.tumblr.com/) too!


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